Evoked potentials in workers occupationally exposed to organic solvents

Somatosensory, Brainstem Auditory and Pattern Reversal Evoked Potentials (SEPs, BAEPs, PREPs) are recorded in workers occupationally exposed to mixtures of organic solvents, in order to specify the levels of the nervous system affected by a long term exposure to solvents, and to analyze the effects of age and gender. The most significant differences are found for SEPs; they objectivate peripheral impairments magnifying the differential effects of age observed in the control subjects, and show the higher sensitivity of women. The central impairment is pointed out by the latency delay of P22 component mainly, whose age-related increase is amplified by solvent exposure.